Article Posted on : - Jun 24, 2010

Ariane 5-ECA rocket. Arianespace photo

SEOUL (BNS): South Korea’s first geostationary ocean weather satellite scheduled for launch Thursday has been delayed due to mechanical problems, a Yonhap report said.

The 2.5 ton Chollian communication, ocean and meteorological satellite (COMS), was set to liftoff at 6:41 a.m. (local time) from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.

The report quoting Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) said "pressure-related" problems in the 780-ton rocket were detected and the countdown stopped a little more than 47 minutes before blastoff.

According to the report, a drop in pressure in the second stage rocket was found to have been caused by a faulty sensor array and the problem was rectified. However, more time was needed to find out why there was a pressure drop in the first stage rocket, it said.

The second stage makes up the upper part of the Ariane 5-ECA rocket built by France's Arianespace SA and is designed to place its satellite payload into the Earth's orbit.

The first stage rocket provides the main thrust needed to get the rocket into space. It is made up of one liquid fuel rocket and two solid fuel boosters.

"Arianespace officials do not think the complication affects the general safety of the rocket, but they need more time to make certain it is not serious," a spokesperson for the aerospace institute was quoted as saying.

The new liftoff time will be decided later in the day after consultations with on-site engineers, he said.

Chollian is designed to stay fixed in orbit and give Seoul timely and accurate data on weather and oceanographic information around the Korean Peninsula 24 hours a day. It can also acts as a regular communications satellite.

Seoul spent more than 350 billion won (US$293 million) and eight years building the high-tech satellite that is expected to remain in operation for seven years.